Laparoscopic bariatric surgery poses special demands on the anaesthesiologist as well as the surgeon. The surgeon requires good visualisation of the operative field while the anaesthesiologist is concerned with adequate postoperative respiratory function in these morbidly obese patients. With the advent of advanced laparoscopic techniques the time span between adequate neuromuscular blockade (NMB) and adequate postoperative recovery of respiratory muscle function is growing ever shorter with an increasing risk of postoperative residual NMB.